ST. LOUIS -- Not everything in hockey nor around the Stars is a mutually exclusive relationship.

Ben Bishop could be having a tremendous season (he is), and Anton Khudobin could still be playing better than Bishop (he is recently). The Stars could be mediocre or average and still be a playoff team in the Western Conference. One doesn't negate the other. Both can simultaneously be true.

Just as -- in the wake of Stars CEO Jim Lites' public thrashing of Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn two Fridays ago -- it's OK to recognize that Seguin and Benn's production was behind career norms but also acknowledge that they have carried the Dallas offense this season along with Alexander Radulov.

Since Lites' comments, Benn has two goals. Seguin has four goals and three assists. Radulov has three goals and five assists. They helped drive the Stars to a season-long, five-game point streak that ended Sunday afternoon in Winnipeg. But it's road games such as that one that help demonstrate just how vital the top line is.

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Including the 5-1 loss to the Jets, the Stars have scored 47 goals on the road. Benn, Seguin or Radulov have been on the ice for 29 of them, or 61.7 percent. All three have been on the ice for 16.

If you take out special teams, since all three are on the top power-play unit, the numbers are similar. The Stars have scored 33 even-strength road goals, and at least one member of the top line has been on the ice for 21 of them, or 63.6 percent. All three have been on the ice for 11.

"They carry a lot of responsibility," coach Jim Montgomery said. "They do. On the road, they're getting the d-pairing, they're getting the best defensive line or whoever they think is the best matchup against them. Can't get away from it, right? Because you need them to play their minutes. That's why I think they score the goals, is they relish the challenge and they're up for it."

Radulov scored the only Dallas goal of the afternoon Sunday, when a John Klingberg shot deflected off his skate during the second period. It was the fifth straight game the Stars' power play scored, a welcome sign as they try to produce secondary scoring.

Devin Shore is goalless in his last 23 games. Jason Spezza has one goal in his last 15 games. Valeri Nichushkin hasn't scored this season. Brett Ritchie has 19 shots on goal in his 24 games. Jason Dickinson and Martin Hanzal are hurt.

When forwards other than Benn, Seguin and Radulov score, the Stars are 17-8-3. When they don't, the Stars are 5-9-1.

The lack of secondary production presents a dilemma for Montgomery on the road, where he can't dictate the matchups. Opposing coaches have largely chosen one of two strategies to play against Benn-Seguin-Radulov. Some have chosen to match their best players against them, fighting fire with fire and hoping they can force the Stars to spend more time in the defensive zone.

The Jets did that Sunday, when they matched up the Kyle Connor-Mark Scheifele-Blake Wheeler line against them for about 10 minutes of 5 on 5. Nashville sent Ryan Johansen's line at them. During their first meeting, Colorado used its elite top line to slow them.

"I think our best players do well with all matchups," Montgomery said. "The only matchup that I've seen so far this year that hasn't worked to their benefit would probably be the Landeskog-MacKinnon-Rantanen line [in Colorado]."

Other coaches have opted to use their best defensive line against Benn-Seguin-Radulov. Minnesota used Mikko Koivu's line and Colorado iced Matt Nieto, Carl Soderberg and Matt Calvert during their second meeting. Vancouver's Antoine Roussel, Markus Granlund and Loui Eriksson played almost 11 minutes against the tStars' op line, and Edmonton's Ken Hitchcock used his bruisers Milan Lucic and Zack Kassian against them.

The opposition is different from whom they would face at home, when Montgomery gets the last change. He has often matched Seguin's line with the opposing second line. They drew Washington's Niklas Backstrom, New Jersey's Travis Zajac and Montreal's Phillip Danault. In theory, the opposing lines were not good enough defensively to slow the top line and not good enough offensively to carry play.

Without a threat of other forwards scoring, opposing coaches seemingly have one decision to make when the Stars are on the road: Can my top line carry play against Benn-Seguin-Radulov and keep them in the defensive zone? Or am I better off throwing my best defensive line at them and leave my best players open for a matchup with the Stars' shutdown line?

Whatever matchup the opposing coach picks is one Montgomery probably has to live by. He can't hold back that line on the bench and wait for the right matchups since the top trio is are so important to the Stars offense.

The matchups have certainly favored the top line at home.

At even-strength at home, Benn-Seguin-Radulov is responsible for 59.1 percent of shot attempts, 62.1 percent of shots on goal and 60.6 percent of scoring chances. On the road, they are responsible for 51.3 percent of shot attempts, 52.1 percent of shots on goal and 52.5 percent of scoring chances. They drop from an absolutely dynamite line to a slightly above average one.

The rest of the team's drop is more extreme from home to road.

Without Benn, Seguin and Radulov on the ice, the Stars are responsible for 49.0 percent of shot attempts, 48.8 percent of shots on goal and 52.6 percent of scoring chances at home. On the road, those drop to 43.6 percent of shot attempts, 45.6 percent of shots on goal and 41.4 percent of scoring chances. They drop from an average group to a bad one.